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'Dallas' makes its fiery return By Jay Bobbin © Zap2it Back in April, when last we saw Sue Ellen Ewing ... The staple of "Dal- las" lay unconscious in a drunken stupor as a fire raged though the main house at Southfork Ranch, started by an unidentified person. The possible cul- prits included Drew Ramos (Kuno Becker) — seek- ing revenge for what he felt the Ewings did to his family — and Bo McCabe (Donny Boaz), the angry ex-husband of ranchhand Heather's (AnnaLynne McCord) new love interest Christopher Ewing (Jesse Metcalfe). Add to that Pamela's (Julie Gonzalo) collapse after finding husband John Ross (Josh Henderson) with his frequent fling Emma (Emma Bell), and Bobby's (Patrick Duffy) spouse Ann (Brenda Strong) sharing a kiss with her ex Harris Ryland (Mitch Pileggi), and it's a pretty bad night all around for those in "Dallas" as the TNT update resumes with what it's calling its "Season 3.1" Monday, Aug. 18. What's bad for Sue Ellen is, of course, terrific for Linda Gray. The actress has played the part over 36 years, also encompassing the original CBS show's 14-season run and a couple of TV-movie sequels. She couldn't be more pleased to remain a us and carry on with the new kids. And what kind of show would it be? Would it be tacky, where we wouldn't be proud of it?" Gray says her fears were "put to rest early on," thanks largely to executive producer Cynthia Cidre, who developed the cur- rent version. "I got excited because I saw a woman's name under 'Written By.' I was in the boys' club (on the show) in the '80s. Ev- erything was male. Women were victims, just reac- tors. Sue Ellen had some glimpses of strength, but she wasn't meant to be pivotal at all." Now, she frequently op- poses her son John Ross ... not only on his intended takeover of the family company, Ewing Energies, but also over his cheating on Pamela with Emma. That prompted him to have Sue Ellen committed to a treatment facility earlier in Season 3, just as his father J.R. had done on the origi- nal "Dallas." "From day one, from 1978 through this new ver- sion, it's always been about the writers," Gray main- tains. "You can't do much without them, so no matter what I've done throughout my career, it's been about what I can grab onto to breathe magic into these words they put together so beautifully. That's my job." The update of "Dallas" resumes its third season Monday on TNT. vital part of "Dallas" along with Duffy's Bobby and, earlier in the revival, the late Larry Hagman's J.R. "It's a thrill," the charming Gray confirms while admitting, "Patrick and Larry and I were concerned whether they were just going to use us as bait (to launch the update), then dispose of 2 The Goshen News • TV Spotlight • August 18 - 24, 2014 Say It On Page 2 Of The • Announcements • Birthdays • Memorials • Special Events • Congratulations Advertisements must be paid in advance. Contact us for deadlines and prices. 574-533-2151 or 800-487-2151 ext. 398

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